A baseless protest
Protesting is every citizen’s basic democratic right so long as the protest has a valid basis and does not create unnecessary problems in the day to day lives of others. The sit-in held by the Young Doctors Association (YDA) on Mall road Lahore this week did not have a valid reason. The protest was against the legitimate termination of two doctors working at Mayo Hospital who beat up a patient and his brother last month.
In the process there have been at least two deaths due to delayed medical attention and lack of access to the OPD. That the protestors blocked the OPD of Lahore General Hospital as well by using their cars as blockades and then thrashing their staff upon being asked to leave is criminal. Massive traffic jams due to the sit-in ensued for an entire week creating immense difficulties for commuters.
The protest has now started to wane down as some of the doctors have returned to their posts that were being filled by senior doctors at the hospitals. The Hippocratic Oath that doctors take before beginning medical service bounds them to put the wellbeing of all patients first. By refusing to treat patients themselves and stopping other doctors to do so, the protestors have not only broken that oath but acted inhumanely.
It is commendable that the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SHC&ME) department of the Punjab government did not give in to the demands of the YDA. Time and again we have seen protests taking place at areas where section 144 is imposed. The government however fails to stop these in a timely fashion. There are designated protest areas in Lahore and other cities of Pakistan and the government should make sure they are used instead of sensitive locations. The YDA should completely call off their protest, return to their jobs and pursue their cause in the courts that are always at their disposal.